VIDEO Supper On The Grounds – Traditional Gospel Hymns

Jan 1, 2014

Before the idea of “Sunday Brunch” became an item on trendy restaurant menus, church congregations enjoyed a get-together known as “Supper On The Grounds.” Following the morning service simple tables would be set up under shade trees and would miraculously fill with heaping plates of fried chicken, potato salad and apples pies. While the congregation filled their stomachs members of the choir would gather and fill their spirits with classic hymns. This 45-minute cut from “Under One Heaven” re-creates this chapter of Americana music with the Christian hymns from one of those supper on the grounds with acapella versions of well-loved gospel hymns like “Amazing Grace,” “Shall We Gather by The River” and “Sweet By & By.” The performers are SAVAE a group of seven singers who specialize in gospel and sacred music.

Focus On The Process

If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. —2 Peter 1:8

In William Zinsser’s book On Writing Well, he says that many writers suffer from “the tyranny of the final product.” They are so concerned with selling their article or book, they neglect learning the process of how to think, plan, and organize. A jumbled manuscript, Zinsser believes, is produced when “the writer, his eye on the finish line, never gave enough thought to how to run the race.”

Author and minister A. W. Tozer applies that principle to our spiritual lives. In his book The Root of the Righteous, Tozer describes our tendency to be “concerned only with the fruit . . . [and] ignore the root out of which the fruit sprang.”

The apostle Peter reminded first-century believers that Christlike living and effective service result from a process. He urged them to grow in eight areas of spiritual development: faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Peter 1:5-7). If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, Peter said, “you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v.8).

God calls us to a wonderful process of learning to know Him, with the assurance that it will lead to productive service in His name and for His honor. By David C. McCasland

Lord, so often we want complete and perfect
solutions here and now. But You work graciously in
Your good time. Let Your goodness and patience and
virtue shine through us so that we may bless others.

The Christian life is a process in which we learn complete dependence on God.

Powerhouse of Scientists Refute Evolution, Part Two

In 2011, 29 leading design scientists held a Biological Information symposium in which they compared the standard Darwinian explanation of origins to amazing new discoveries about biological languages. The second major theme among the group’s presentations dealt with “Difficulties in Creating Biological Information.” In essence, they tried to re-engineer aspects of creating information. What did they uncover?

Geneticist John Sanford, lead organizer of the Biological Information symposium, helpfully summarized the technical proceedings in a document titled, Biological Information: New Perspectives. A Synopsis and Limited Commentary.1 The document summarized evaluations of evolutionist’s digital attempts to envision natural selection generating information, for example with the software program Tierra.

In one paper, Dr. Ewert, an electrical and computer engineer, along with mathematician and philosopher William Dembski and computer engineer Robert Marks II, showed that Tierra failed to evolve information in computer simulations, even though its programmer placed unrealistic, evolution-friendly parameters into the software.

Avida is held as proof of “digital evolution,” but Symposium scientists laid bare its ugly flaws. Most notably, evolutionists had added “enormous amounts of front-loaded design” into the Avida software.1 No wonder it shows evolution—it’s been rigged. Yet, when biologically realistic parameters are plugged in, Avida shows no information increase after all.

In another paper, mathematician Dr. Basener calculated that natural selection cannot generate new information because all evolutionary advance stops once a trait becomes optimized to its environment. So, both mathematically and in real-life biology, selection leads to a stabilized, un-evolving organism.

In a third paper, Dr. Sanford outlined the research he had done revealing that even when a mutation arises—one that does not kill or harm a creature—it typically produces such a miniscule effect that natural selection never detects it. In other words, the survivability of one organism essentially equals that of its neighbor in a population, so that outside factors like predators or weather patterns affect them equally. Plus, even if one imagines a beneficial mutation arising in a population, it gets totally overwhelmed by huge numbers of the very slightly deleterious, invisible ones. This way, genetic information is sure to constantly diminish.

In a fourth paper, biochemists Doug Axe and Ann Gauger considered how and why mutations would theoretically alter existing traits and from which of those traits nature could theoretically select. Selection wouldn’t tinker with a gene that is already necessary for cellular life, so evolutionary biologists posit that extra copies are made. However, the co-authors of the paper found that the cell would stop producing, shipping, and sweeping up the theoretical extra copies long before the copy gains new information by chance mutations.

What does it take to make information-rich language? Clearly, forethought is required, and Neo-Darwinism’s selection of mutants uses no forethought. No wonder it falls woefully short of being able to make the information found in cells.

References

– Sanford, J.C. 2014. Biological Information: New Perspectives. A Synopsis and Limited Commentary. Waterloo, NY: FMS Publications.
by Brian Thomas, M.S. who is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.
Article posted on June 16, 2014.

When God Doesn’t Hear

“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2)

People often complain that God doesn’t hear their prayers, especially when God does not respond in the way they would like. But He can hear, all right! “He that planted the ear, shall he not hear?” He even hears our thoughts. “Thou knowest . . . my thought afar off” (Psalm 94:9; 139:2).

It is not that God cannot hear, but it just may be that we have not met the conditions for answered prayer so that He will hear. Probably the most important of these conditions is obedience to His Word. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you,” said Jesus, “ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). But, “if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3).

There are other conditions, of course. “Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James 1:6). “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do,” said Jesus (John 14:13). “If we ask any thing according to his will . . . we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

Even if we do meet all the conditions, however, He may not answer immediately or in the way we prefer, and He might even answer no. After all, He knows better than we just what is best for us, and He will see that “all things work together for good” for us if we truly “love God” (Romans 8:28).

But, first of all, we need to check our lives in relation to His Word. Then, “if our heart condemn us not . . . whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments” (1 John 3:21-22). HMM

Let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them

Let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them.—Deuteronomy 22:3.

SON of the living God! Oh, call us
Once and again to follow Thee,
And give us strength, whate’er befall us,
Thy true disciples still to be.
And if our coward hearts deny Thee.
In most thought, or deed, or word,
Let not our hardness still defy Thee,
But with a look subdue us, Lord.
HENRY A. MARTIN.

HALF our difficulty in doing anything worthy of our high calling is the shrinking anticipation of its possible after-consequences. But if Peter had tarried, and cast up all that was to come, the poverty, and wandering, and solitude, and lonely old age, the outcast life, and chance of a fearful death, it may be he would have been neither an Apostle nor a Christian. HENRY EDWARD MANNING.

Some men will follow Christ on certain conditions—if He will not lead them through rough roads—if He will not enjoin them any painful tasks—if the sun and wind do not annoy them if He will remit a part of His plan and order. But the true Christian, who has the spirit of Jesus, will say, as Ruth said to Naomi,” Whither thou goest I will go,” whatever difficulties and timers may be in the way. RICHARD CECIL.

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. Psalm 25:7

I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins. — I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. — Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. — I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. — Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. — Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity? … he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. — Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Isaiah 44:22. Isaiah 43:25. Isaiah 1:18. Jeremiah 31:34. Micah 7:19. Isaiah 38:17. Micah 7:18. Revelation 1:5.

His commandments are not grievous

His commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:3

This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life. — Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. — If ye love me, keep my commandments. — He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. — Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. — Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them. — I delight in the law of God after the inward man.

This is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another. —Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

John 6:40. 1 John 3:22. Matthew 11:30. John 14:15,21. Proverbs 3:13. Proverbs 3:17. Psalm 119:165. Romans 7:22. 1 John 3:23. Romans 13:10.

VIDEO Our God

May 30, 2010 by Chris Tomlin

Unwrapping the Gifts of the Cross

Much has been said about Jesus’ “gift of the Cross.” But what of the other gifts? What of the nails, the crown of thorns? The garments taken by the soldiers? Have you taken time to open these gifts?

He didn’t have to give us these gifts, you know. The only required act for our salvation was the shedding of blood, yet He did much more. So much more.

Search the scene of the Cross—and what do you find? A wine-soaked sponge. A sign. Two crosses beside Christ. Divine gifts intended to stir that moment, that split second when your face will brighten, your eyes will widen, and God will hear you whisper, “You did this for me?” Dare we think such thoughts?

Let’s unwrap these gifts of grace– as if for the first time. Pause and listen. Perhaps you will hear Him whisper, “I did it just for you!”

From He Chose the Nails

Held by the Grip of God

I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me —Philippians 3:12

Never choose to be a worker for God, but once God has placed His call on you, woe be to you if you “turn aside to the right hand or to the left” (Deuteronomy 5:32). We are not here to work for God because we have chosen to do so, but because God has “laid hold of” us. And once He has done so, we never have this thought, “Well, I’m really not suited for this.” What you are to preach is also determined by God, not by your own natural leanings or desires. Keep your soul steadfastly related to God, and remember that you are called not simply to convey your testimony but also to preach the gospel. Every Christian must testify to the truth of God, but when it comes to the call to preach, there must be the agonizing grip of God’s hand on you— your life is in the grip of God for that very purpose. How many of us are held like that?

Never water down the Word of God, but preach it in its undiluted sternness. There must be unflinching faithfulness to the Word of God, but when you come to personal dealings with others, remember who you are— you are not some special being created in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace.

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do. . . I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

by Oswald Chambers

Teaching Kids About Work

Mark 1:16-20

Jesus’ call to be fishers of men extends to modern believers. In order for anyone to achieve and become all that God has in mind, it is crucial to learn the right attitude toward work, whether it relates to vocation or service to the Lord. As parents, we must teach our children these additional lessons from fishing:

A fisherman must be industrious. The Bible tells us that Zebedee had some hired help (Mark 1:20). He didn’t settle for simply catching enough fish to feed his own family; he built a successful business that could also sustain his employees. It is likely that Zebedee taught his sons to aspire to reach their full potential instead of accepting “good enough.”

A fisherman must be disciplined. He doesn’t have the option of sleeping late or leaving the water early. Even though he is tired after a long shift, he recognizes that he must clean the nets to keep them in good repair. Zebedee’s sons learned responsibility and self- control on their father’s boat.

A fisherman must be persistent. The best catch is often made after everyone else gives up. Zebedee undoubtedly taught James and John not to quit until they gave their fullest effort. This ingrained attitude was essential when Jesus sent the disciples out to evangelize the world.

The order to spread the gospel is still in effect. The church needs committed believers who teach and demonstrate a biblical mindset. Parents who model industry, discipline, and persistence are most likely to raise children determined to win the world for Jesus Christ.